An interesting article fell on top of my desk today. The WSJ reports:

Many [copyright] warnings “materially misrepresent U.S. copyright law, particularly the fundamental built-in First Amendment accommodations which serve to safeguard the public interest,” the complaint alleges. CCIA President Ed Black said the warnings create a “chilling effect,” dissuading consumers from using portions of the content in ways that are lawful.

The conflict illustrates the shifting concept of fair use in the digital age. “Fair use” of intellectual property revolves around the question of how much, if any, of movies, books, music and other creations can be used without permission of the owners. As Internet platforms have made it easier to redistribute chunks of content without asking for approval, copyright owners have become more protective about enforcing their rights.

So, Google, Microsoft and others are banding together to help consumers realize that they can reproduce a certain portion of copyrighted work. I think it’s pretty interesting that CCIA cares so much about warning labels. Warning labels mean very little in a world of easy access to copyrighted content. Are consumers really intimidated by something like this? I highly doubt it.

Update: And illegal music downloading is at an all time high… yes those labels really help.